Lily Does Not Care
by doing 25 life in azkaban
Summary: Lily Luna Potter's thoughts on her sorting.


**A/N: So I finally got around to playing Pottermore since my classes aren't as hectic this year as they have been and imagine my shock and awe when I was sorted into Slytherin. I've always thought I was a Hufflepuff but you can't argue with Pottermore facts. So while I was reading my house introduction on the game I was wondering how little Lily Potter felt when she was sorted into Slytherin (because anyone who has read any of my stories knows that is my headcanon). So this is what ended up happening. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, I don't own anything, I don't make any money from this, but I do enjoy playing Pottermore. **

Lily Luna Potter didn't care. Not really. Her brothers could say what they wanted—they always did anyway—it's not like they really knew anything about anything.

"You just wait," James teased as soon as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of Kings Cross Station. A scowling 11-year-old Lily was sitting in a compartment with her cousins Hugo and Freddie Weasley and her eldest brother. Her other brother, Albus, had wandered off with Hugo's sister, Rose, as soon as they had said good-bye to their parents to find their friend Scorpius Malfoy; leaving Lily to suffer her first train ride to Hogwarts with her idiot brother.

Actually, both her brothers were idiots, but James was the bigger idiot of the two in Lily's opinion-especially when he was with Freddie.

"You're going to be the first person in our family's history to get sorted into Slytherin," James continued, ignoring his little sister's expression of disinterest, as per his usual. "Oh the shame!" James put the back of his hand to his forehead and pretended to swoon from the force of the hypothetical shame. Freddie proceeded to egg James on by fanning the fake-fainted James' face and muttering things like: "Gracious!" and "How you young whippersnappers trouble an old man's heart!" and "The scoundrel!"

Lily rolled her hazel eyes and lightly banged her head against the window beside her as though she were trying to dislodge James' stupid words from eating away at her brain. James and Freddie snickered from the seat across her and Hugo, who was sitting beside her, gave Lily a sympathetic smile as if to remind her that nothing could be done about James and the majority of content that spilled from his mouth was bull anyway.

She didn't need reminding though—she lived with the idiot.

"Don't you two have anything better to do than pick on a first year?" she asked drily; satisfied when the boys' laughter cut short. It was more than a tad pathetic for two fourth years to be hanging around a couple of first years; relatives or not.

Freddie snorted, clearly hiding hurt at her comment. "You're lucky you have relatives who will sit with you on your first train ride," he told her smugly. "You should be thanking us."

Lily wondered whether James and Freddie had friends outside the family. Then she reminded herself that she didn't care; at least the two idiots had each other.

The train ride continued as train rides do—with lots of noise and shaky movement and idle chatter and games of exploding snap—but Lily couldn't make herself get into the whole experience. She was too worried about the sorting.

Perhaps worried wasn't the right word. No, that made it sound like she cared what house she was put in. She didn't, not really. She would be surprised if she was sorted into Hufflepuff but it wouldn't bother her; neither would being sorted into Slytherin. She never understood why everyone worried about it. Every sorting in her family since she could remember someone had worried about being sorted in with the snakes. As if any of the Potters or Weasleys would be Slytherin material anyway.

Albus had nearly had a conniption when it was his turn to be shipped off to Hogwarts. It didn't matter how many times their dad had told him that the sorting hat took personal preference into consideration-Al still had to breath into a paper bag on the car ride to Kings Cross Station two years ago.

Lily didn't have a personal preference. She was just curious to see where she would be put based on what the sorting hat saw in her. Whether that old hat based its judgment on the subconscious or personality or the heart's desire, Lily didn't care how deep the hat looked into her, she just wanted to know the truth.

She had always been a little different from the rest of her overly large family. Her humor was dry and sarcastic instead of slapstick and witty; she thought things through instead of diving in headfirst; she wasn't prone to fretting over small things; even her hair was a darker shade of red than the traditional Weasley red.

She couldn't even connect well with most her family. Sure her immediate family was all good to her—despite how much she, James, and Albus fought-and Teddy and Victorie were always nice to her but they were nice to everyone and she would always have Hugo since they were the same age and he was a little different too—but not a bad different like her, Hugo just didn't let anything phase him, he was so easy-going it bordered on transparency. The rest of them though…

Suffice it to say that Lily Luna Potter wouldn't mind being sorted into a house where she wouldn't have any relatives to rely on. There would be so much potential if she were sorted into a house with just her and bunch of people she knew nothing about and who knew nothing about her. Then she could make a name for herself.

Lily wasn't nervous. Not in the same way the rest of the first years gathered outside the Great Hall were. There was much whispering as the children wondered how they were supposed to be sorted and others spent the time smartening themselves by straightening their hair or robes. Lily didn't bother, she looked fine and besides she knew what she was going up against. How one was to be sorted into houses was suppose to be a secret to every new student, but with a god brother who worked at Hogwarts and eight cousins and two brothers ahead of her, word got out.

Hugo, who was standing beside her as they waited to be taken to the Great Hall, was so pale his freckles stood out more than they usually did. He looked terrified and Lily couldn't fathom why.

"What's wrong with you?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth. She had never seen him look so phased by anything. He had always been easy smiles and shrugs and laughter.

"I think I'm nervous," he stated, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Why, it's just a hat?"

Hugo shrugged. "There are going to be a lot of people watching."

Lily raised a curious eyebrow at him. "I didn't know you got performance anxiety?"

Hugo gave her a sidelong look which clearly said he didn't want to talk about it.

Shortly after the group of first years were taken into the Great Hall by Teddy-or Professor Lupin as she would have to call him now. Lily had gotten separated from Hugo by the great multitude of first years and she hoped that he would be alright.

They were herded into the Hall in a straight line and Lily ended up between two boys. The one in front of her was slightly taller than her and had dark skin and short black hair. The boy behind her was a lot taller than her and skinny, with shaggy black hair that fell into alarmingly blue eyes. She figured she looked extra small sandwiched between these two boys but she knew she should get over it. If her mother and father's heights were any indication she wouldn't grow very tall anyway.

As they stood in front of the whole school and listened to the hat sing its song about the different houses and house unity most of her fellow first years trembled where they stood with the stares of the whole school on them. Not Lily though, whatever the hat decided Lily knew she'd be alright

As Teddy went through the list of first years Lily made sure to take note of some names so she would at least have an idea of who her housemates might be. Boster, Harold was the first to be sorted and ended up in Hufflepuff. Christie, Christina ended up in Gryffindor. Flint, Axel went into Slytherin along with Grant, Vala. And Hacker, John was the first into Ravenclaw.

When Teddy finally called "Potter, Lily" her name seemed to echo through the hall, demanding silence and attention.

Taking a deep breath she walked to the stool and the old sorting hat with her head held high. As she went she saw her brothers and cousins giving her multiple thumbs-up and smiles of encouragement. She didn't acknowledge them and took her seat on the stool with as much confidence as a queen sitting on her throne.

"Good luck, Lils," she heard Teddy whisper as he dropped the hat on her head…

'Ah,' a voice spoke in her ear, 'another Potter. I remember when I was on your father's head, although you share very little in common with him when he was your age. I remember him begging me not to place him in Slytherin. Do you have any requests?'

Lily was surprised that it wanted her opinion. 'No,' she thought, 'I don't have a house preference. I was wondering where you would have me go, seeing as you can see into my head.'

'Good, I love it when children don't have preferences, it makes things more interesting. But you do know you've been over thinking this, don't you?'

'Have I?'

'Oh yes, I see that you are very gifted and have a wonderful mind. You can be a bit of a trouble maker when you want to be. You're ambitious and have more subtly in your pinky finger than your whole family has between the lot of them; you also have great confidence in yourself that often borders on arrogance. Hmmm.'

The hat paused for a moment.

'Do you not know where to put me?' Lily wondered.

'It's not that. I've known where I was going to put you since I was placed on your head,' the hat told her. 'You're very easy to place, Lily Potter. A smart girl like you should know exactly where she's going to end up.'

'I'd rather you make an unbiased decision,' Lily thought.

'A heart's desire is never unbiased,' the hat told her. 'It is what it is. I can see you want to make a name for yourself. It's all you've ever wanted; all you will ever want is to not be cast in someone else's shadow. You've got all the potential—all the drive—but you've got a nasty habit of letting others make decisions for you; like you are trying to do with me. But ultimately it's all on you whether you live your dream or not. You're an ambitious one—but it won't be easy—living one's dream never is. It's so much easier to let life pass by and claim you tried.'

'I know I can do it,' Lily thought determinedly. 'I just need a push this one time.'

'Pushing is what I'm for, girl….' "SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was taken off of her head and there was a spattering of confused applause from the Slytherin table. Lily caught James' eye as she walked to her house table, he looked stunned but when he noticed her looking he gave her a strained smile. Suddenly Lily realized that her brother's teasing had all been for traditions sake. James had teased Al into believing that he would be in Slytherin years ago and Teddy had probably done the same to James…they had never actually believed anyone in the family would be sorted into Slytherin. Not even her.

She looked over to Hugo as the sorting continued and felt a twinge of guilt; he had went on all summer about how great it would be when they both got to Hogwarts and in all of his fantasies he and Lily were in Gryffindor together.

After Lily was sorted four more first years were added to Slytherin so that by the end of the sorting there were four girls including Lily and five boys.

Hugo had been sorted into Gryffindor but Lily had never doubted that he would. It did make her a bit sad though. It would take her family some getting used to; knowing that among all those lions a snake had been born. Still, she knew that if she had ended in Gryffindor she would have spent her whole life being just another Potter. She would be safe and secure but she wanted more than that. And in Slytherin there was no telling how her life would end up. It was odd how one little decision could set the course for someone's whole life.

A part of her hoped that being in Slytherin wouldn't change anything in regards to her relationships with Hugo or her brothers. But she knew it would. Oh well, Lily smiled as the feast began and her housemates started introducing themselves and talking about their respective families. She really didn't care if it did.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated. **


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